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Pedro Sánchez and Inés Arrimadas confirmed on Tuesday afternoon the new relationship of the Government with Citizens. After closing an agreement for the fourth extension of the state of alarm to face the coronavirus crisis, the two leaders have spoken again about the de-escalation process and about the possibility of extending it in future extensions.

Both Moncloa and Ciudadanos have issued separate statements, which coincide in highlighting the new will for dialogue on both sides. The Government emphasizes that the Executive and the orange party want "to continue working for the achievement of future agreements that will overcome the virus and contribute to the economic and social reconstruction of the country."

The liberal formation, for its part, stresses that "Citizens will continue to be demanding with the Government and with the agreed conditions, always thinking of the will of the Spanish".

Sources of Citizens emphasize that the coalition Executive has already fulfilled two of the conditions that Cs put in place to support the extension of the state of alarm. Firstly, it has reached an agreement with the social partners to disassociate the ERTE from this exceptional situation.

Secondly, it is maintaining the weekly dialogue that Arrimadas required to share information and exchange ideas and proposals on de-escalation.

The conditions of Citizens

Citizens is ready to negotiate another extension of the state of alarm. But it requires all the details of the decree that the Government will take to Congress and be listened to possible improvements to include them. Said new extension should be voted next week in the Lower House. The 10 votes of Ciudadanos could be fundamental given the increasing distance of the PP and the independence movement from the Government.

Since last week the negotiation with Ciudadanos allowed the Government to save in Congress the fourth extension of the state of alarm, the socialists have been very cautious about fanning a possible change of alliances in the party block that allowed the investiture by Pedro Sánchez.

Arrimadas' support comes just as ERC tries to distance itself from the Executive, with the horizon that there will be Catalan elections in a few months. In fact, ERC voted no to continue this exceptional situation.

In this context, Cs represents a lifeline for Sánchez, a buoy to hold on to if ERC fails in a decisive vote. The Government does not break ties with ERC, but seeks new support for both concrete legislative initiatives and budgets.

The Government wants to "expand the majority"

The spokeswoman and finance minister, María Jesús Montero, had an impact this Tuesday on what she already expressed last week: the more groups the better to carry out the 2021 accounts.

Montero has defended that the dialogue with the political forces that facilitated the investiture is "constant and fluid", but that the "vocation is to expand those majorities" at the same time as "consolidating those that we have." For this reason, despite warnings from the PNV or ERC, which reproach and veto the approach to Cs, the minister has welcomed "those forces that are capable of the greatest possible consensus."

"From the first moment, the vocation of this Government, like that of any other, is to expand its parliamentary support," he stressed. In his opinion, it is "especially important at a time when we have to think that this country is suffering something unimaginable at the beginning of the legislature, such as a health pandemic with the economic and social consequences that it entails."

In this way, the Executive evidences that the legislature plans if they have not expired, at least, have been transformed.

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Know more

  • Citizens
  • Pedro Sánchez
  • Inés Arrimadas
  • Coronavirus
  • Covid 19
  • State of alarm
  • Descaled

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Politics Pedro Sánchez ties the support of Citizens to the state of alarm and will manage the de-escalation with the autonomies to have PNV and ERC

PoliticsThe Government does not loose ties with ERC: "There is no change of alliances"